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Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Helps Back Pain Sufferers Fight Fear Avoidance and Move More

Fear of back pain? Once you’ve experienced it, you say “yes!” Your Carrolltown chiropractor totally understands this. Carrolltown back pain and neck pain patients do not want to experience that pain again. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation helps spine pain sufferers get their confidence back with encouragement and exercise

FEAR AVOIDANCE DUE TO BACK PAIN

Back pain sufferers don't want to revisit back pain if they can help it. That desire - whether obvious or subtle, stated or just ruminated in the mind – establishes the ‘perfect storm’ for a behavior called fear-avoidance. Patients with persistent spinal pain syndrome - post-surgically caused or not – elicited high levels of fear avoidance, anxiety, and depression. (1) Researchers noted that the pain experience is not just physical as emotions, behaviors and beliefs are involved as well. Fear avoidant behavior like fearing the act of lifting an object grows and affects muscle behavior without realizing it. A new study compared fear-avoidant beliefs and the use of lumbar paraspinal muscle activity while lifting in both back pain and in pain-free persons. Fear of lifting an object with a flexed spine as described in a questionnaire was negatively associated with erector spinae activity to protect the spine from harm. The proper way to lift has been argued for a long time. Lifting with a straight back has been described as safer than lifting with a flexed back though research hasn't necessarily supported that while lifting with a lordotic posture has been found to result in more erector spinae muscle activity resulting in muscle fatigue and pain.  (2) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation recognizes the importance of managing fear avoidance and its link to better quality of life.

HOW TO MANAGE FEAR AVOIDANCE

Researchers noted that back pain sufferers today ‘get’ that they must keep active but some require a bit more support and encouragement to move and exercise due to a lack of confidence in their spines’ ability to exercise without causing pain. The healthcare provider not only can share the latest findings on pain control but also train the back pain patient to be physical in the safest way possible. (3) If you are that patient, Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is your coach! We’re a team and can help you move better and with less fear and deliver gentle, relieving spinal manipulation. Three months of chiropractic manipulation and exercise for older adults with chronic back pain boosted their self-efficacy and fear-avoidant behaviors together with reductions in disability. A 30% or more drop in the Oswestry Disability Index suggested positive response to care. (4) The more engaged a patient is with treatment, the greater the influence on the feeling of self-efficacy and disability reduction. (5) Let us work together to control your Carrolltown back pain so it doesn’t control you. 

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Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Tom Menendez on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for an older patient with back pain for whom fear avoidance is logical.

Schedule your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment now so that if you are questioned whether you fear back pain, you can say “no”!

 Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation gets why back pain sufferers fear movement and helps them get past it to move and exercise.
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."